An unexpected surprise

As something I certainly didn't expect to see on this drizzly Monday morning, Monster Hunter Stories has suddenly arrived on mobile in Japan.

If you're a little out of the loop, Monster Hunter Stories is an adventure RPG where you'll embody a Rider of your own creation, befriend monsters by stealing eggs and hatching them, and then bring them with you to battle after naming, riding, and training them.

Released not too long ago on 3DS, Capcom's colourful monster-befriender is available in Japan in two varieties. Firstly, if you want to try the game out without purchasing the full thing, you can download the demo version on the App Store or Google Play. Bear in mind that Google Play is region-locked, so unless you're in Japan you're a bit out of luck, Android-users.

Finally, the full versions are going for 1,900 yen (about £12/£13) which you can find on the App Store or Google Play. If you don't live in Japan but want to give the game a try on iOS, check out our handy guide on making a foreign iTunes account to get you started.